title: Can a brief two-hour interdisciplinary communication skills training be successful in undergraduate medical education?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To pilot-test feasibility, acceptance and learning-outcomes of a brief interdisciplinary communication skills training program in undergraduate medical education.
  
  
  METHODS
  A two-hour interdisciplinary communication skills program with simulated patients was developed and pilot-tested with clinical students at Hamburg University. Five psychosocial specialties facilitated the training. Composite effects were measured qualitatively and quantitatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty students volunteered to participate in the pilot-program (intervention-group). Their evaluations of the program were very positive (1.1 on a six-point scale). Benefits were seen in feedback, increase of self-confidence, cross-disciplinary clinical and communication experience. Students who did not volunteer (n=206) served as the control-group. The intervention-group performed significantly better (p=0.023) in a primary care communication examination and female students performed better than males. Clinical teachers evaluated the pilot-training very positively with regard to learning-outcomes and feasibility. The positive results from the pilot-training led to implementation into the regular curriculum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A two-hour interdisciplinary communication skills training program is beneficial for medical students with regard to communication competencies, self-confidence and learning-outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The training is feasible within given time-frames and limited staff resources. The high teaching load for small-group-training are split between five specialties. The concept might be an interesting option for other faculties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Medical Care, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: c.bachmann@uke.uni-hamburg.de.
authors.forename: Cadja
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barzel
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roschlaub
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ehrhardt
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scherer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D016544:Patient Simulation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Curriculum development; Interdisciplinary communication skills training; Primary care; Psychosocial medicine; Undergraduate medical education